Big Trip: Hawaii

So this past January I turned the big 50 and decided I wanted to take the family back to Oahu, Hawaii where I was stationed at the age of 18.  My daughter was born there so I thought I'm turning 50 and she turns 30 this year so what better way to celebrate both our birthdays.

We had an absolute blast and I wanted to recap the great time we had here.  

Hotel

We stayed at the Prince Waikiki and the rooms were great.  I ended up in the Ala Moana Tower and the rest of my family stayed in the Diamond Head Tower.  I booked 4 King OceanFront Premier rooms however on check in I received a Double OceanFront Premier room instead.  That turned out for the best because I just used my other bed as a Lounge area.  The bathroom with separate shower and tub was awesome and it was my first time using a bidet...loved it!  Overall I would rate the Prince Waikiki a 4.5 out of 5 because the Customer Service was top notch.

Food

I will be honest navigating 5 different palates is a lot.  Yet here are a few places that were a win for everyone.

Chart House Waikiki - loved the ambiance and the vibes provided by the live music. 4 out of 5

Sweet E's Cafe - We ate here for breakfast 4 out of 5 days.  Absolutely loved the local fried rice and veggie omelet. 5 out of 5

Beachhouse at the Moana Surfrider - This is where the big 50 Dinner took place and the ambiance, food and service were phenomenal.  5 out of 5

Activities

Well we enjoyed a number of beach excursions around Oahu and a few of our favorite beaches are listed below.

Laniakea Beach - We enjoyed the view here but the waves were for the experienced surfers.

Sandy Beach Park - thoroughly enjoyed the beach here and the strong breaks were not for the weak.

Halona Beach Cove - I did not make the trek down to this gem however my daughter and son were very adventurous and my son even dove off the cliffs into the ocean here.

Self Guided App from  Apple Store this was the best $8 spent because it would point out local landmarks and items of interest outside of the normal tourist tours.  It helped that we rented a car to allow our family to navigate our own pace.

Magic Island, Ala Moana Beach Park - This by far was my favorite because of the locals and the cove for just relaxing in the ocean.  My son said I brought him to a kiddie pool in the Ocean, lol. My daughter and I loved it!